16 hours Ago By By Ed Adamczyk
We approach a new year knowing that it will be the 100th or 200th anniversary of one thing or another, and those with a mania for history, and celebrating, are preparing for all of it. Let’s take a moment to consider something the historical community honored in 2024, although the party could go on. The Marquis de Lafayette was a hell of a guy.
An ambitious young guy, he had a love of democracy and freedom, and had enough of royals like Louis XVI — and later, pretender-royals like Napoleon Bonaparte — and came to America to aid in the revolution against Britain. He was responsible for setting up the troops who fought the British at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, effectively driving the British out of the United States and setting up a surrender. A lot of things in America are named after Lafayette, but many people are unaware that he returned home to France, aided in the 1789 revolution there, and returned to the United States at the invitation of President James Madison for something of a farewell tour, in 1824.
It extended into 1825 and covered 24 states and about 6,000 miles, and that’s what some people have been honoring in the past year. It came late in the tour but yes, he made it to Western New York, and the history books are surprisingly thick with detail, including what and how much food and wine were consumed at the constant banquets. Stepping off boats, glad-handing politicians, hearing the cheers of crowds, and a party every night; Lafayette was 67 at the time and maintained a busy pace.
An American merchant ship got him to New York City, where 30,000 people greeted him. Then he essentially went from place to place across what was America at the time, receiving grateful adulation and ceremony. He met Madison and former president Thomas Jefferson and addressed the U.
S. Congress. By the summer of 1825 he was in Pennsylvania, on his way to Boston, and took a boat from Erie, stopping at Fredonia and Dunkirk before he came to Buffalo.
A public reception, another banquet, more grateful appreciation. He stayed at the Eagle House in downtown Buffalo, three stories tall and the classiest place in town. Then it was off to Black Rock, regarded as a separate place – and with a separate harbor – from Buffalo.
Northward to Niagara County, where he of course saw Niagara Falls, and visited Tonawanda, Fort Niagara and Lockport. He also met up with Tuscarora Chief Nicholas Cusick, who years earlier, in revolutionary times, had been a scout for Lafayette. The reunion was full of chatter, hugging and reminiscing about the old days.
Two old soldiers, getting together. Cusick commented on Lafayette’s admirable ability to maintain his hair, evidently unaware that it was a wig. Good luck with the Erie Canal, Lafayette told those who saw him depart – the canal would open months later – and it was off to Rochester and eventually to Boston.
Then home to France, where he died in 1834. Unless you had a hand in it or were a historian with disposable grant money, you were likely unaware this farewell tour was noted in 2024. It will probably get little notice here, in the summer of 2025, since historical organizations are gearing up for the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal’s opening; after all, the canal, as any fourth-grader will tell you, is the reason we are all here.
We have a ridiculously interesting history in Western and Central New York, but modern budgeting does not allow us to adequately exploit it. Other than the value of hero worship, and the fact that Americans deeply appreciated this man’s work, what do we learn from all of this? Even in 1825, this country, including Niagara County, could be traversed by boat, carriage or other vehicle, slowly but without a lot of complication. Native Americans co-existed with settlers.
The Marquis de Lafayette could really hold his liquor..
